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Fight The Power Lyrics

Artist: Public Enemy
Album: Fear Of A Black Planet

1989 the number another summer (get down)Sound of the funky drummerMusic hittin' your heart cause I know you got sould(Brothers and sisters hey)Listen if you're missin' y'allSwingin' while I'm singin'Givin' whatcha gettin'Knowin' what I knowWhile the Black bands sweatin'And the rhythm rhymes rollin'Got to give us what we wantGotta give us what we needOur freedom of speech is freedom or deathWe got to fight the powers that beLemme hear you sayFight the power

Chorus

As the rhythm designed to bounceWhat counts is that the rhymesDesigned to fill your mindNow that you've realized the prides arrivedWe got to pump the stuff to make us toughfrom the heartIt's a start, a work of artTo revolutionize make a change nothin's strangePeople, people we are the sameNo we're not the sameCause we don't know the gameWhat we need is awareness, we can't get carelessYou say what is this?My beloved lets get down to businessMental self defensive fitness(Yo) bum rush the showYou gotta go for what you knowMake everybody see, in order to fight the powers that beLemme hear you say...Fight the Power

Chorus

Elvis was a hero to mostBut he never meant ---- to me you seeStraight up racist that sucker wasSimple and plainMother---- him and John WayneCause I'm Black and I'm proudI'm ready and hyped plus I'm ampedMost of my heroes don't appear on no stampsSample a look back you look and findNothing but rednecks for 400 years if you checkDon't worry be happyWas a number one jamDamn if I say it you can slap me right here(Get it) lets get this party started rightRight on, c'monWhat we got to sayPower to the people no delayTo make everybody seeIn order to fight the powers that be

(Fight the Power)

Comments/Interpretations

by anty on 5/25/2008 3:52pmone of the coolest songs featuring KoRn...

by dj gpip on 5/27/2008 3:12pmi have 2 do this for for a rebellious essay

by taa on 6/1/2008 3:35pmand a mother cries...

by Viktor on 6/18/2008 3:50pmYea best fu*king song Koßn ever made

by shae on 6/18/2008 8:52pmimpowering

by palmer on 6/19/2008 5:03pmMotherfuck him and John Wayne

by rascal on 6/23/2008 2:59pm 1989

by Andy T. on 6/29/2008 1:10pmThey are the best...one of my favourite

by me on 7/2/2008 8:34pmthe duke was awesome and presley was cool pop and rap are the most stupid kinds of music

by ariel on 7/4/2008 1:14pmy'all racist niggas

by flava flav has 7 kids with 3 moms on 7/7/2008 4:27pmdoes "Fight the Power" mean fighting against the concept of families with an even ratio of moms to dads?

by Jay on 7/18/2008 3:11amThis is one of the only rap songs that has a good and powerful message.

by METALHEAD666 on 7/18/2008 4:37amgood song

by dude on 7/24/2008 4:15amflava flav didn't write this song, you silly shit.

by to me on 7/29/2008 11:03pmthis is to me...you came on here and said pop and rap is stupid...why are you looking up public enemy lyrics??

by jude amoah on 7/30/2008 2:18pmu dont get good songs like this anymore!!!!

by rednecks are retards on 8/11/2008 10:07amariel i hope you see this you country redneck whitebread chicken shit motherfucker how the hell did you make a computer out of cardbord and alluminum the two materials that make up your trailer trash house.wait your usin an 1980 fucked up compter that takes hours to go to one webpage so i guess it took maybe 6 hours out of your worthless life to post that.

by fuckthechurchfuckthestate on 8/15/2008 12:43amThis song has nothing to do with korn you fucking moron. There may be some kind of remix or live version featuring Korn but this song's greatness has nothing to do with Korn and I despise fuckers like you that claim it does.

by jig on 8/18/2008 11:51pmElvis was'nt a racist..There'splenty of footage of him kissin and huggin black folks..all kinds of folks for that matter..He learned and gave credit to alot black singers berfore him.If anything he was pro-black..Just like myself..This song is negative..

by Portland Oregon on 9/3/2008 10:49pmI remember watching Spike Lee's 'do the right thing' back not too long after it came out. I was about 15 then and I thought this song was great. Now is the first time I've ever listened to the whole song, and certainly the first time I've read the lyrics. These guys are great. Flavor Flav is in the great tradition of the joker, the trickster. I believe the tradition can be traced to African roots. These guys are brilliant. Sometimes I think they get a little off field into divisive for its own sake, but that's the exception. They are poetic genius' of the highest caliber. The melding of form and substance is astounding.

by Radio Raheem on 9/12/2008 2:19amChuck D should be given credit for being one of the most transcending musical figures of our era. It's too bad people are talking about Korn. I am afraid Fight the Power has zero to do with them. Probably one of the best rap/hip-hop songs of all time. Respekt

by jb on 9/14/2008 2:27pmcool

by Slinkard on 9/24/2008 11:10amThis is truly sad that a song like this tops the charts of 'Vh1'. Wow, after everything that has happened in the world, a female running for Vice President, a black man running for President, well with this song we might as well go back 40 years to the past...

When it was all about Black Liberation, yeah great song.

www.conservativecorner.wordpress.com

by Are you kidding me? on 9/24/2008 12:25pmThis shit sucks. These no talent punks need to leave the country if they are not happy here. They have the highest standard of living of any black people on the planet and yet they piss and moan

by Teacher on 9/24/2008 4:53pmWhen whitefolks accused Elvis of being a "n-ggalover" he said, and I quote: "A nigger can't do nothing for me but cook my food and shine my shoes"--end quote. Did he mean it? Probably not, he cut his teeth in black juke joints and loved his black maid like a second mama, but he SAID it. Elvis let that be his legacy to protect his record sales.

by Teacher on 9/24/2008 4:56pmFlava was the hype man, not the lyricists, of the band. Him being a plum fool changes not a damn thing about the profundity of that song.

by mindfreak on 9/24/2008 8:31pmfuck man this my lyrics fuck everybody..shitfuck u all

by hf on 9/24/2008 9:46pmdoes anyone know if Chuck D further explained the lyrics of the song? The song is greatly negative but it seems that Chuck D is lashing out at the racism against the black community during the late 80s. I wonder if he really believed that Elvis was actually a racist or added the line purley for shock value. Additionally, is he trying to bring together all races with this song or did he write the lyrics purley with rage?

by cryforbalance on 9/24/2008 10:21pmThis song is unquestionably hot...but undeniably racist. Wonder if the songwriter/artists would be okay with 'rednecks' using the n-word? When are we gonna grow up?

by mr man man on 9/25/2008 4:21pm The strong statements made in this piece of art are the foundations of what hip hop should be. A message and not a trashy one week dance.

by dancerjack on 9/25/2008 5:47pmit's a good song. but there's alot of hyperbole in the responses to it. astounding? that's a bit overdone.

by Public Enemy is RACIST too on 9/25/2008 6:11pm"MotherF--k him and John Wayne"... and any other white person? maybe all the Orientals and Muslims while we’re at it right?I get empowerment, and it IS a positive thing, but not at the expense of someone or something else. I believe that’s what people in the ghetto would call an "ig'nent nigga"The song is as positive as the Black Panthers rolling down the streets with shotguns was positive.Will Smith, as corny as his rap seems, is positive. It shows that you don’t have to swear, don’t have to put people down, and can STILL get a point across to millions if you want.Denzel does wonders for the community.These are the people to listen to and model ourselves after.

by Bogeyman on 9/25/2008 6:25pmAnother good case for a larger war front and resurrecting the military draft. Y'all Korn folks need something more to occupy your fucked-up minds. Did the Tutsis with OCD stop to wipe the door knobs before fleeing the Hutus? What about the lactose intolerance in Somalia?

by That one guy on 10/8/2008 7:16pmEveryone is predjudice,deal with it,its not like there arent rascistwhite power bands playing out there and when a rap group does itits a big fucking suprise for everyone, but maybe they are reffering to the higherclass white individuals who get away with shit everyday. Theres more rap making a point these days you just have to look for it.IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE is keeping hip-hop live and it talks about the issues going on rght now all around the world yo could learn a thing or two~

by DumbWhiteBoy on 10/9/2008 9:01amI may not agree with their statements, but I respect anyone that can make their point as succinct and sharp as Public Enemy did

by niko on 10/10/2008 6:40amthis song is not that great... and by the way, public enemy has expressed racist ideas about jews, asians and whites...as a latino i fell left out. plus it seems hypocritical of public enemy to talk about empowerment while flavaflav runs around like a character in a minstrel show

by fartybollox on 10/24/2008 7:32pmwere only here to see the lyrics. i dont give a fuck what you all think.

by blackwhitewhatever on 10/29/2008 9:08pmDon't split hairs and don't make it out to be more than it is-it's song lyrics. Fight the powers that be!!! FIght the power is an anthem that respresents a core ideal of the founding fathers of this country. Your remember the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War Don't you??? GO READ A BOOK. I think 400 years of opression make it okay for there to be at least a handful of rap songs about throwing off the yoke of opression..something this country was founded on! Remember that????

by Texan( look at the John wayne part) on 11/4/2008 8:29amElvis was a hero to mostBut he never meant shit to me you seeStraight up racist that sucker wasSimple and plainMotherfuck him and John McCainCause I'm Black and I'm proudI'm ready and hyped plus I'm ampedMost of my heroes don't appear on no stampsSample a look back you look and findNothing but rednecks for 400 years if you checkDon't worry be happyWas a number one jamDamn if I say it you can slap me right here(Get it) lets get this party started rightRight on, c'monWhat we got to sayPower to the people no delayTo make everybody seeIn order to fight the powers that be

(Fight the Power)

by jimmy on 11/8/2008 8:29pmThe whole song seems ambiguous to me outside the “Fight the Power” message—for example, other people seem to know what PE is saying about Elvis but I don’t. Hell, I’ve attacked Elvis as a worthless entertainer, and maybe he was a racist in some ways. Who cares? What does Elvis have to do with fighting the power? Unless it’s the power to make the big bucks. Then it doesn’t seem like fighting power as much as envying power.

by me on 11/18/2008 7:30ami think the elvis reference is in link with the reference of what american deems as heroes. it's usually the white majority. rarely is a man of any kind of colour considered a hero. if so, it's the token black or the expected black (i.e. martin luther king jr). so, what i'm assuming they're fighting here, is the ideology of celebrating the redneck. where are the heroes of our people--black, red, yellow, brown, etc. most of us were terrorists and enemies.now, explain to me the rest of the lyrics. they're kind of silly to me.

by bobby on 11/21/2008 4:15pmhi jimmy you're missing the point about Elvis and John Wayne - the point is that, at the time the song was written, they were being elevated to the state of being national icons (by being commemorated on US Postage stamps) despite the fact that they were both strongly associated with relatively recent racist statements and attitudes about blacks.

The point being that if these are the heroes that are chosen by the State to represent all that's great in the country - there must be something wrong with the State.

O and btw for previous posters - Professor Griff of PE made anti-semitic remarks and was thrown out the group on account of it.

O and if you think US blacks in general have the highest standard of living in the world then a) you want to get out and around a bit more and b) US blacks in general should have the same standard of living as US whites in general is the point.

by Alex on 11/24/2008 6:32pmBobby, you got it.

by American Me on 12/2/2008 1:06amIts bullshit that black ppl can't express themselves in any way without some fucking idiots trying to say some shit about calm down, be rational. Fuck that shit America was built on the backs of the slaves but yet and still anytime we complain some muthafucka wanna say "go back where your from if your not happy here" guess what hillbilly m/f,we belong here more than anyone, and you don't like it go back to whatever damp ass, dirty partcountry you came from. We are not going anywhere so you might as well get used to it. The man don't own this shit. Another thing you need to quit that "if" shit cause if "if" and "buts" were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas.

by idk how i feel about this on 12/3/2008 11:11pmObviously this is how they felt at the time, but seriously whats wrong with a white person saying nigger if a black person can say redneck? apparently they are both condescending so, all white people feel free to say what you want i guess, because according to VH1 this is the best hip-hop song ever.

And, I love how it's "always" white people that are racist....this song proves that its everywhere. As far as Bobby's comment...Black people could have the same standard of living as some of the more privileged white people if they tried. I know its a system and a cycle and it's hard to get out of, but it's not impossible....This is America. Plus there are plenty of white people living in the same circumstances.

by presuming rob on 12/5/2008 4:27pmok, i'm a white british metalhead with long blonde hair (hardly someone who should be listening to this) but i admire these guys so much for what they stood for... IMO rappers these days just act like rap is some kinda fashion that they're just in to get rich... but this is GOOD! theres my 2 cents

by Dion on 12/6/2008 8:58amDefinitely one of the most profound songs of it's time, if not all of hip hop as a whole. I can still remember when this song came out...it was more than just a song, it was an anthem. As a child I could barely grip the profound nature of it's lyrics and message, and even today as I find myself soon to be a history teacher, I feel that it still holds many merits. I think bobby hit it on the had about the ideals portrayed in the song. I think this is considered by many to be one of the greatest hip hop songs ever for good reason. It's thoughtful, poignant, and unforgiving. That's how music of a political mindset should be.

by problackantinigga on 12/9/2008 5:40pmtheres two types or colored people in the world theres niggas and blacks and the people that mad this song are no good aint shit niggas that can kiss my ass.i aint racist but ask anyone no one loves a fucking nigga.

by Vladan Obradovic on 12/12/2008 2:07pmi am white..and proud to be white!but..we all have to fight the power..

get this-there are no white,black,red,yellow,no muslims,no christians,no jews..only the ones that have everything and the ones that don`t.

fight the power ! ! ! ! !

by really what the f**k?!?! on 12/14/2008 5:46pmhalf the comments are dissin this rap. why the hell did u look up the lyrics to this song just to diss it

oh and problackantinigga you are a racist motherfu*cker go die

by azngirl916 on 12/14/2008 6:49pmI'm Asian and I grew up listening to hip hop like most people. Yes this song has a good message, but not all points were legitimate. I'm no fan of Elvis Presley's music or the man in general, but after doing research on the subject of his alleged racist sentiment, I have to say that nothing including that alleged Boston quote was ever substantiated. Therefore, we should not to be so quick to call him a racist. Through his numerous quotes and actions, I believe that he had genuine respect and love for blacks, and their music that inspired him. The New York Times wrote a good piece on this subject...I recommend all of you google it!

by B-Money on 12/15/2008 2:42pm Fuck all the racist in the world, fuck everyone who thinks bad of this song and fuck those who want to criticize me cause i'm black and proud.

by poala on 12/18/2008 6:00pmwhy does your song have to be so damn long

by SF Rog on 12/24/2008 1:45pmUp until the election of Barack Obama, African Americans in the US had every right to feel like they were on the outside of the political establishment. This song captures that angst against a power structure that is self-serving & discriminatory. Motherfuck Elvis and John Wayne . . . symbols of a racist white culture where people of color aren't allowed to ride in the front of the bus. That's coming from the heart . . . and it works in this music. It's angry, rebellious, in your face, and it's real. It rings true. The American Dream from the outside.

It will be interesting to see how hip hop lyrics evolve now that there is no office too high for an African American in the US.

by EL TORO! on 12/28/2008 8:43amGood Song........

by the duke on 1/6/2009 11:57pmda ha da ha da ha ha haha ha

by soul the interrogator on 1/8/2009 1:37amAs a White Cat livin in the hood back in the 80's I always show love to PE for introducing me to black awareness. I knew who the Black Panthers and Malcolm X was thanks to them. The white media at the time would'nt show anything like that. It was all about Elvis Presley who steals lyrics from black entertainers and John Wayne who said some thing about black folks. And USA wanted to put them on stamps? I know white folks that are still pissed about Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It's sad, because hip hop today is 99.999999999999% Garbage and Flavor Flav sold out to Bridget Nelson.... FIGHT THE POWER!!!

by natasa public enemy greece on 1/11/2009 1:48pmmy public enemy i love u very very much you iis beautiful and great i was sthn sunavlia

by Can't we all just get along? on 1/12/2009 2:16amThey expressed themselves about how they felt regarding the state of black people in America in the 1980's. I have seen interviews where Chuck D has stated that he "has a great respect for Elvis and what he did for music and that he does respect black work, but John Wayne still gets the middle finger" lmao.... I am not racist against blacks or whites because we are all people and live in this fucked up country! But, this is a great song with a great message if you walked in their shoes. If you didn't don't comment on why they said what they said in this song. And furthermore don't go reading their fucking lyrics????

by fuck white folk on 2/4/2009 10:47amalways tryna keep a nigga down, fight the power. money-b homey u got it in one my nigga. fuck all those who hate dis track, spike lee was a menace 4 do the right thing - u c wat them crackers did 2 raheem, motherfucking vermin dont trust a white bi**h EVER. im the modern day radio raheem

by jon on 2/16/2009 3:44pmi'm a while male and i hate the word nigger. i hate racist whites. i come from a rich white home but in my home we were taught to listen to god hip hop and learn about black leaders.

by CoyoteJack on 2/22/2009 3:29pmI think people try to analyze things to the letter a bit too much. One thing I love about PE songs is that it creates thought and discussion (and I think THAT is the point...awareness). Chuck D is an intriguing fellow and quite brilliant. I've never been a racist person nor tolerant of it. I have friends all across the racial "spectrum" and am thankful for each and every one of them. I myself am half Native American (Delaware) and half Danish.

by mendmatic on 2/24/2009 10:11pmWHAT IS THIS KORN YOU SPEAK OF? BASS FOR YOUR FACE BOYEEE!

by retards on 2/28/2009 2:13amalot of the black people that post shit on here make other black people look like fuckin retards

ps if your trying to call me racist my best friend is black he agrees with me

pss im white and i dont give a fuck what color you are because if your trying to argue color power your a fucking retard

by MusicArt on 3/5/2009 8:17pmHow times have changed since 1989...Now the Republican chairman and president are black. Maybe Michael Steele can use this as his new Republican party theme song. Fight the radical lefty power! They want to take yo dollars and freedom too! It's obvious they know better than you..boyeeeee!

by bro on 3/9/2009 8:13pmkorn? are u serious? f*ck korn, PE all the way korn sucks, they probably did cover this song, fuck, they've covered every good song for the last 20 years cause their too lazy and washed up to write any thing new

by dumbfounded whitie on 3/18/2009 12:56pmthis is one of the most influential songs in all of rap Will Smith is a played out fool no one listens to parents just don't understand anymore. this is one of the greatest songs in the history of rap and is exactly what rap should be. it is about throwing off the bonds of oppression and rising up to get out of it. anyone that says that since we have a black president there is no more racism is mildly retarded. there is racism when buying a house, car, walking down the street, most government programs are still directed to black people,racism. the police still target black people. the only thing that has changed is that we feel bad about it.

by to MusicArt on 3/26/2009 5:11pmNobody took more money and freedom from America than Reagan and Bush. Chuck D was telling you this twenty years ago, and I'm telling you now. Look at where the money has gone in that time -- we're all in debt because of Reaganomics, while the rich continue to pull money out of America. Look who spied on and tortured innocents, and stoked the fire of fear.Pay attention! and Fight the Power!

by blackrockstar on 4/10/2009 10:28amelvis preasley was racist and he had no talent, jerry lee lewis or little richard were better, but we still say that he's the king of rock'n'roll, he's just the king of my ass

by A Commoner on 4/19/2009 8:35amIt's about the anglo-american empire. The new world order. He knew about it then, but everyone is so stupid, they would rather argue about elvis and shit. Look behind the words, 400 years of rednecks. The Rothschilds, Rockefellers, Eugenics. Freedom of speech is freedom or death. Lok around at your constitutional rights being evaporated. Idiots, wake up!!

by Th@tCh1ck on 5/13/2009 11:30pmfor one myself finds this song to be very inspirational to african americans like myself an i dont see how any of you can say otherwise because as we all know and have heard the phase "fight the power" to some just lyrics but to others fight the power is an inspirational reminder for us all to keep our heads high & fight for what we the African AMERICAN race deserve and believe in as being equals to all races & i also believe that this song is incredible for the simple fact that it was then and now still is relevant in todays issues hands down this is one of the rawest and creative ways of the eras youth expressing an notifying the public of racial repression

by WTF on 5/14/2009 7:33amAny of you who try to argue your points on a lyrics website, go grab a life...............honestly.

by that dude on 5/19/2009 1:39amor alternatively suck a dick

by 14-88 on 5/22/2009 7:42ami dislike blacks

by yo mamma on 6/12/2009 3:49pmIf it weren't for Elvis all us niggas would be shinning shoes and eating white men shit. He helped us black folk, be musically recognized. Fucken haters get an education.

by yo mamma on 6/12/2009 3:56pmHA! Funnnnnny how three six mafia tryin to steal songs from the king of rock n roll. Proud and Black but EDUCATED. LONG LIVE ELVIS !!!!!! AS HE WOULD SAY FUCK ALL U SUMOFABITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by yo mamma on 6/12/2009 4:25pmto blackrockstar, didn't know u like getting it in the ass. Any who,who do u think put the rock in rockstar idiot. Bet yo old lady is a fan of Elvis like me. Then again u would mention Little Richard u fucken fag.

by irritabledindian on 6/18/2009 7:07pmIf you think PE is racist, you probably think Malcolm X was as well. It's not about hate, it's about frustration of being screwed over. This song is not about coming together it's about voicing frustration. Love peace and harmony but just not right now is what they're saying (at least to me). This song is an A+.

by Screw you on 6/22/2009 4:36pmPublic Enemy are immense man!!Seriously, their music was so influential and true. They weren't sell outs and weren't scared the truth, which I really respect them for!! Elvis and John Wayne were both racist!! To all you people that are hating....why even look up the lyrics in the first place??

by black panther on 7/13/2009 2:35pmplz be EQUAL 4 ONCE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

by Hello 4rom Germany on 7/23/2009 3:59amThis is a great song. The lyrics are acceptable because they are from the late 80's or early 90's. I wouldn't buy it if it was from 2009. Flava flav is a big disgrace.

by Prince Ka Ra Allah 7 on 9/10/2009 10:13pmOne of the best rap songs ever made ! We need more songs with a good message behind it ! Pure Truth !

by Some Guy on 9/12/2009 6:06pmThis song isn't about hating white people, or people with money or violence or hating war. It's about being against corupt influencial people LIKE Elvis and John Wayne, it's about being against the power in the media against black people.

by franz on 10/2/2009 10:20amyall is be whackyayayayayaaaa

by some guys' friend on 10/2/2009 10:22ami agree with some guy. i believe his statements are correct. he is a super neat and cool kind of character. i hope to concur with more of his ideas in the future.thanks some guy!

by WHITE PEOPLE SUCK!!!! on 10/2/2009 11:48pmGET A LIFE FAGGOTS!!!!!!!!!!

by ngrlvr on 10/8/2009 3:10pmWhen he say's "fight the power" what he means is that black guys should put their large african penises into white girls. Because white girls like that better than the little pinkies.

by tiredofthiscrap on 10/13/2009 10:08amThis is the type of crap that would turn Martin Luther over in his grave. This type of crap, keeps racial tensions alive. This isn't speaking of anything that the founding fathers believe. That's crap if you believe that too. I agree with "get out" See how well you do for yourselves in another country. This country needs people in it that believe in personal responiblty and accountablity. Stop asking for others to give you shit and start trying to figure out how you can help yourself and the people around you. Black oppression stopped long time ago. Stop bringing the people down with your crappy lyrics and start telling them how far they can reach with "I have a dream".

by J-Dog on 10/22/2009 9:02pmJust a bunch of stupid niggers making no sense at all and killing the king's english

by Human boy on 10/25/2009 10:07pmTo all the racists black and white , you guys should get a room make little halfy babies then shoot your selves. This might solve a problem , idk but it would be great to see how it works out. Nothing but good can come of this!

by Seven-up on 1/21/2010 5:33amhell yeah muthafuck elivs & john wayne....but that was the 80's stupid mathafuckers and it's now 2010 & we face new struggles....fuck all yo'll bitchen....South African soilder said it

by ??????????? on 1/27/2010 9:11pmFirst of all look a here. I'ts not good to be racist but it doesn't feel good to have white or caucasian americans come to africa, take us hostage and make us work as slaves! So don't none of you call black people niggers because look I come and curse you out so hard until you wake up tomorrow morning tryin to say burrito but say another word. Watch yo mama knock the *^%3 out of you. So If you got somethin to say SPEAK IT

by Blax and Niggaz on 2/18/2010 9:33amBlax like me just get on wit' da lives but Niggaz still hurt'n n blamin' n rapin' n lootin' n slammin' n bitchin'....now, in English - Get an education or shape up...and stop fucking whining.

by Nigel Testicles on 2/18/2010 9:35amLordy Lord..! Such shite lyrics!

by mark landeck on 3/2/2010 4:10pm1 of the best songs ever. Fuck the cracker rednecks who can't handle the lyrics. Freedom of Speech reigns supreme. By the way, Elvis sucked. He made all his money off other people's music. The clown wrote 2 songs his whole life - neither was a hit. By the way, I'm white and I have the balls to sign my real name!!

by The ringo kid on 3/5/2010 9:02amthis niggers are so racist . and they not even able to make a decent song .John Wayne forever

by jfjfj on 5/25/2010 2:32pmare you an idiot the song is by public enemy and the korn cover sucks

by ... on 6/1/2010 11:19pmumm how was elvis and john wayne racist? seem like american herosto me. fuckin hypocrite niggers callin whites racist when this song hate whites? fuck it im racist so fuck these niggers and they need to go back to fuckin africa, only posers wants them here!

by Rebellious on 7/7/2010 1:22pmIf the song was meant to be sweet and nice PE would have made it so. That's not what this is about. If you don't get the message,cant comprehend where PE is taking you then you obviously can't relate to the song. Racist? No. So what he said muthafk him and John Wayne. Muthafk them, theres a reason for it. Its funny how some white folks find it "disturbing" and thinks PE is hating on all of them. craziness. One of The Best Rap Songs Ever!

by kev on 8/4/2010 1:46amdumb as niggers you wonder why nobody trust you fucks i wouldnt spit on you if you where on fire elvis made nigga music cool dumb fucks public enemy is a joke clown u wont real put on pac till then listen to 80s gay hip hop which was faker then vanilla ice

by PE#1 on 8/12/2010 3:00pmFuck Elvis and John Wayne!!!!!!!!!

by Realist on 9/13/2010 11:48amThis song is a basic way of rebelling against the adversity that many blacks face in America. We fought for freedom therefore we should use it to every extent as possible that's all. we have freedom use it!!!

by disappointed citizen on 9/17/2010 11:04ami cant believe the crap i am reading here. 90 percent of the people who posted here are the reason racism is still alive both black and white. Chuck D says it best in Welcome to the Terrordome - "its weak to think and blame someone else when you destroy yourself" Public Enemy is the best hip-hop/rap group there has ever been cuz they actualy had something to say. with the state of our country and the world today we've got bigger and badder things to worry about than skin color

by j.cole best rapper on 10/19/2010 9:09amfuck every whit person that said something negative about this honky black power

by white boy on 10/26/2010 12:32amfuck korn and fuck will smith. get serious and listen.

by Taxi on 10/26/2010 11:30pmIf you like this then you should look up mic check by rage against the machine.

by Hollywood Cheese on 11/3/2010 10:40amColor is irrelevant. Blacks and whites still suffer under the leaderships of the Obamas and Mandelas.

by Joey Ohhey on 1/2/2011 4:47amThere is no evidence that Elvis was racist. Show me some.....from what I know he hung out with blacks, wore their style clothing, etc. as he grew up. and his music is kinda adopted from theirs. so. this song is dumb...

by getoverit on 1/18/2011 8:24pmin 2011 you cant blame anyone for not being successful. quit blaming someone else for your actions! step up and do the right thing. selling drugs instead of working 8 hours a day isnt the right thing. knocking up girls and leaving them aint the right thing. running from cops at 2 in the morning and after getting caught you blame the cops aint the right thing. quit making excuses for screwed up decisions and lack of moral values. Fight the drug infested, non child support paying, non job having, always blaming someone else for your screwed up actions power...No, i am not racist, i am an american citizen worried about the dumbing down of this great country.

by yo mama on 1/19/2011 12:03pmbeast song

by The Best list on 3/19/2011 11:01amBest song ever: Don't worry be happyBest celebrities ever: John Wayne and Elvis Best sandwich condiment: mayonaise Best sport: NASCAR

Feel free to continue this list :-/

by The Beatles on 3/19/2011 11:04amSurprised that Public Enemy didn't try to call out The Beatles in their jealous rage.

by Whitecracker on 3/30/2011 12:37pmI loved the song when itncame out and I still think it's the best rap song ever........

by Female rappa on 4/8/2011 1:09pmCmon y'all da song is of da hook

by Johnwayneisawesome on 4/29/2011 6:30pmJohn Wayne is awesome, he could beat the shit out of these guys. So what if he was a successful white man, who overcame poverty by using his talents and acting legally and contributing to society.

by niggassuk on 5/21/2011 10:15pmThey are just a bunch of worthless thugs spewing out lies about their own suffering. They're uneducated thugs who chose to be uneducated thugs. I would say go back to Africa but they don't want their thug asses either.

by Toomuchtimeonmyhands.jpg on 5/24/2011 11:40pmSo fuck this nigga shit yall niggaz is gay and yall honkey asses is keepin us down and fuck this.I'm done trying to be an idiot. It's too hard. The debate on this page is mind-numbingly stupid. Some of you are stupid racist white people, some of you are stupid indignant black people, some of you are annoying fanboys who obsess over this music. All of you, however, are fucking stupid. I've read one decent comment on this page. I forget who said it, and I don't care, but that's one out of more than I feel like counting.

by SAD on 6/7/2011 10:56amthere is alot of hate in the world, just read thru these comments. People tryin 2 blame others for all there problems. Elvis, Malcome, lincon, wat makes the difference?. Through neg, comes neg! thru positive comes positive! love brings love, and hate brings hate. And so on you all get the picture. And as far as my color of skin, well that dont matter! Pray for the World

by anon on 7/23/2011 12:04amWhat a bunch of racists. Public enemy are the biggest bunch of wanabe racists. There rake in most of their money via whites listening to their music and buying their products then they want to bite the hand that feeds them. These ignorant fucks are all rich and trying to rely on racism to fuel their lifestyles.

by Danny on 8/15/2011 4:52pmAin't is a bit hypocritical to condemn Elvis and John Wayne for being racist (mild racists as most)when you got poster of Malcolm X who as a matter of fact was a blatant racist most of his time in the limelight (when with Nation of Islam). Malcolm X would hardly disagree if he were still alive.

Anyway still a good song.

by J money on 8/21/2011 5:35amhey all...just worked with PE at the sunset strip music festival (SSMF)tonight - They were very polite and sweet to all the staff - I asked chuck D. about his elvis and John Wayne lyric and he said, AND I QUOTE..."hey brother, dont take anything too seriously, we are a musical act...emphasis on the act part...thats all I gotta say" there you have it...straight from chuck - you can interpret it how you want

by nessa on 8/23/2011 12:55pmKeep in mind I say this as a proud Afrian American. Chuck D is actually a huge fan of Elvis, the lyric is a take on american celebrity worship. Everybody knows Elvis was not a racist and was very good friends with BB King, muhammad ali and James Brown (google it). and the "Shine my shoes.." comment was proven false at the time by Jet mag ( again google it) so Presley Fans CALM DOWN! Ppl who say otherwise again, google and educate yourselves. Personally I think Elvis is one of the greatest vocalists ever, I'd be surprised if he wasn't black somewhere along the line as he was a dark/olive complexion. John Wayne I do not know anything about so I won't comment.

by Eugene Clark on 9/12/2011 9:03amLong live Chuck D!!!!

by Chris on 9/18/2011 9:42amElvis is the King of Music. Screw Chuck D !!!

by Andrea on 10/18/2011 12:40pmI think it's ironic that Flava Flav was rapping about "Fight the Power" before and with the reality tv shows he participated in, it seems like he's no longer fighting, by surrendered to it.

by here's one f or chuck d brotha on 11/16/2011 11:14amElvis is﻿ the greatest that ever was is or ever will be. -Chuck BerryElvis is the best. The most original. -Jim MorrisonNo one, but no one, is his equal. -Mick JaggerElvis and I are the only true American originals -James BrownAsked whose is the﻿ greatest voice you’ve ever heard “Elvis Presley. Without any doubt."-Kiri TeKanawa (famed opera singer)Elvis has the voice I would wish to have out of all those in popular music-Placido Domingo

by Yo Bruh on 11/30/2011 12:52pmNWA came along and shanked dese' mofo's off da scene. They came wit' legit street knowledge and busted out that Chuck D flow wit' a gat an da AK. Dat wuz sum real shyt. Booyah!

by john on 12/22/2011 9:17amall you mother fuckers are idiots the song was redone by anthrax didnt have shit to do with korn. yes a very good song with great beat although it is funny how people seem to be so impowered to demonize the white race without completly getting their teeth knocked out of their skull

by Lexia on 1/12/2012 4:01amSlavery is over ! Why is it so hard for us blacks to let it go {better yet YOU blacks because I let it go what is their to hold on to} u got your damn freedom got a president too stfu ! This is plain stupid #I fucking hate sterotypical people offtop.

by DEBRA JANINE WILLIAMS on 1/16/2012 11:13amB UB IF 87 WAS WHEN THEY TOLD METHAT SMARTS AINT SMART UNTIL NINETEN THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAN ALL THE KING HORSES AND ALL THE KING MEN NEEDED TO SUFFER AND DIE FOR GAY AND LESBIANS TO STATE STRAIGHT. SAN FRANCISCO HERE WE GO....DAT DEH SONG THY.

by E Fan on 2/6/2012 8:52pmThank you to the people whom are educated that are commenting here about Elvis. The man was not a racist. He gave credit to black musicians from day one and was friends with many black musicians. Read people, go to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Damn!! Get over the bogus ass Jet magazine article from the 50's. It was proven to be fake! Don't be so stupid and closed minded!

by Bluey on 2/19/2012 12:18amDeary me! Elvis racist? What? That's like saying the sky is orange, Elvis adored his coloured brothers, so anyone suggesting otherwise is either stupid, uneducated, iliterate and jealous. Elvis made the word 'RACE' redundant in music. As Little Richard said 'God sends a Messiah every thousand years or so and Elvis was that Messiah' or BB King 'Elvis would come to my Goodwill Charity Events for Black people even when he was BIG, he was showing his roots, and remember it was 1956 it took guts for a white kid to come to an all black event, then he'd pose with me for pictures and made me feel special, I love Elvis' so to read idiots say he was a bigot is laughable. Ernest Whithers said 'those who say Elvis was racist bring shame on us all'

by Just Me on 3/20/2012 6:19amIhe problem here is not white folks or white folks, its the system which in our country is predicated on how much moolah you have. We are all puppets and the one who is holding the strings (the 1%er's)is the puppeter. He continues to profit why you idiots contine to debate. Its all history, but seems to me that History just keeps on repating itself. Figure it out smart folks instead of havinfg a pissing contest over some lyrics written back in the 80'S.

by Mason on 3/29/2012 5:32amTo all of the idiots who say "HURR IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT WHY ARE YOU HERE?", the answer is "to read the lyrics to this song". You see, some of us don't like to assume we know what we're talking about without doing any original research. As for those of you who are simply here to read the comments and/or defend/argue the morality of the context within the lyrics, let me ask you "why are YOU here"? This is not what his website is for. Move along, people.

by andrew v on 4/12/2012 11:23amam white and a prouded of it

by dean on 7/2/2012 1:05pmThey mention elvis because there was a lot of supposed sightings of him being still alive back then. They had really nothing better to talk about during the last half of the 1980s. Shows you how times have changed since then.

by PhD Hip Hop Fan on 7/9/2012 4:12pmI THINK most of you so called analysts are either over-interpreting the song or you're just bigots, mad because brown skinned rappers say "nigga" seemingly with immunity. While they, being white cannot.The song is about the shroud of racism in the entertainment industry.Either you like it....or not.Your racism is transparent.

by PhD Hip Hop Fan on 7/12/2012 7:28amBut it does go without saying that Flavor Flav is a stupid-ass porch monkey.

by Jimmy the fish on 7/24/2012 10:27amWhat shit lyrics

by King Cnut on 7/24/2012 10:31amI haven't heard the song so I don't know what rhythmic energy it has, but looking purely at the lyrics on the page it looks like it's written by an illiterate moron

by Scotsman on 9/10/2012 9:45amWhat pish. Live and let live. Stop over analyzing and allow other peoples pov's. Everyone here needs to chill.

by IrishRover on 12/11/2012 11:19pmElvis never, ever uttered those words. Look it up on Snopes, Truth or Fiction, Wiki, etc. Do you idiots believe everything you read? MLK would be so proud.

by florida on 1/6/2013 12:18amgood song, drop the racism/hate from it and from the concept and it gets stronger. remove all reference to race and replace it with references to "being IN" with the Government and you have something. the only real race is Green anyway, and the only way people to be more or less green is with education or extremely rare luck

by Kingtal on 3/28/2013 7:26amnothins changed since this song was written - doesn't matter if its money or race, the greedy man screws the rest, the planet is sold from under us bit by bit - FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE - like the nigga said...

by foghorn on 5/23/2013 11:14pmwhat a joke a group of racists calling every body else racist,and a lot of people think this is inspirational its really dum song but then again who was it written for,gee im glad I don't live there.

by 3.1415926535897932 on 5/31/2013 12:28pmAndrew that would be ..." and proud of it." Grammar, lest we sink into bestial ignorance.

by jade poopoohead on 6/10/2013 2:04amass holes

by marquisha on 9/6/2013 6:19amthat was the crazyes thing I ever heard

by PPP on 9/28/2013 9:54amEverybody is a bit racist, against the same or anotha why do people think is always the fault or a brotha or sista. Well folks shot happens everywhere no matter where your from, the day we face global extinction there will only be ... dead or alive. By the way Im not black

by ok. on 10/3/2013 11:46pmI love you even if youHate meI love you even when youSpit upon meI love youBecause i know youAnd i Are of the same bloodAnd we breath the same air

I love youAnd yet i must defend my lifeBecause i love myself too

I love youBut my love is not a punching bagFor your angry fists

When you hate meDo you understand what hasMade you so hateful?Am i really the reason you growlLike a rabid dog?

I was born out of love And like youI want to be loved too.

I ask only one thing of youAnd i know it is hard soPlease do your best:When you hate meAnd when you curse meThink of a newborn babyIn the arms of its motherAnd remember that we allWere innocent once.From this shall come freedom

Free your heart from hate.We are all in need of a smile.

by Michael M on 12/31/2013 6:39amAs a white dude, I would like to say that the comments by many white people on here just prove the importance of this song. The complete lack of responsibility, the lack of shame, the lack of culpability- not that these things need to cripple us, but we need to own the shame, the same way we owned black slaves. It's historical fact. And Obama being president doesn't reverse hundreds of years of history, doesn't change entrenched power dynamics, most importantly, it doesn't change a system of exploitation where human beings mean nothing more than dollar bills. Now our plantations are in third world countries, so we don't see them, we don't care about them. This is a great song. It was written in 1989. I can't believe the idiots on here complaining about the song being "negative." Give me a break. You know what's negative? Country Music. Because when I turn that stuff on, after 15 seconds, I want to die. That's negative. But this song, I want to live and fight injustice.

by malcom on 1/30/2015 5:13pmchange Chuck Berry instead Elvis and sidney pottier instead John Wayne and this song would be censored followed by riots.... but, sure... It is sung by black people...anyway, color or not Elvis and Chuck are two of my idols, I don't care about colors.

by anonymous on 7/9/2016 1:33amMaybe the elvis reference was based on white privilege. Elvis was able to walk right into the white house and gift a firearm to the president. Let's see a black man try that.

by Shi*head on 6/1/2017 2:02amMost of my heroes don't appear on no stamps!! I'm black, & I'm proud. Fight the powers that be!!